The two weeks of record high weather and low air-conditioning penetration have caught europeans by surprise. China's portable air-conditioning has become europe's most unexpected “hard currency”: the electricity supplier's channels have been cut off, the shelf at the lower end of the line has been empty, and the second-hand platform has been offered several times as much。
Ai chart for each media bank
Why would europeans use chinese air conditioning? Is it not produced by local manufacturers? In china, air conditioning can be installed in half a day. Why is there resistance in europe? On the one hand, high-temperature mortality has increased among high-risk populations, while on the other hand, opposition to air conditioners has been cited for environmental reasons. Do europeans really prefer heat to environment
With these questions in mind, the daily economic news journalist has recently interviewed five ordinary chinese living in france, germany and italy, restoring their lives in the heat wave from the most realistic civilian perspective。
Their stories come together in a complex europe: not all people are indifferent to the heat, nor are all people in a position to choose。
Doesn't europe produce air conditioning? Why would it be chinese
Europe's domestic power industry is significant worldwide, with the emergence of traditional power giants such as bo, siemens and philips. However, in this high-temperature weather, air conditioning from china eventually emerged。
China's brand names, haile and gwig all indicate that demand for air conditioning in europe has surged, that demand is running out of supply and that urgent replenishment is under way。
In fact, it was not europeans who could not produce refrigeration equipment, but europeans who were accustomed to cooling by natural means rather than relying on tools. Lower demand has resulted in local producers not having the power to penetrate the air conditioners market, and less to develop products for a “plug-free, self-contained, suitable for tenants”. Instead, the demand point of chinese-made portable division air-conditioning (hvac) accurate to the european market was seized by europeans during the summer。
With regard to local cooling habits and air conditioning preferences, the following is a self-statement of the interviewees:
Lilly (14 years of life in stuttgart, germany, for high school teachers): germany's summers are generally gentle, with temperatures ranging from 25°c to 28°c, making people comfortable. I don't feel like needing an electric fan, let alone an air conditioner。
Even if the heat waves seem to have become more frequent in recent years, i will only consider mobile air conditioners if necessary。
In germany, there is a preference for natural cooling. In our schools, colleagues suggested moving classes to shades or using corridors, basement floors and these natural cool spaces。
Although there are no students who are suffering from heat and heat, they are clearly tired and unconscious. In the course of the class, the children are cooled with water and parents do not make special claims。
My two daughters, who say “hot”, never really complained. The family response is more routine — eating ice cream, buying watermelons, freezing ice in the fridge and making a cold drink at any time。
Forklifts (e. G. Electricians, who have lived in frankfurt, germany, for eight years): german electric fans and air conditioning are not widely available, because in the past summer, it was just a few days of heat, and everybody's been taking it seriously. But these years were hotter every year, and before this heat came, i bought a chinese brand portable sub-conditioning at the end of may。
I prefer utilitarianism, whether it be chinese or european, and i focus on its functions, value for money, electricity consumption, installation portability, etc。
After doing a lot of “works” on social platforms, i finally selected the chinese brand, because the chinese brand is almost the only option available on the market for products that are “plug-free and can be installed quickly.” the price is euro800, which is relatively acceptable. I looked at the price the other day, and the air conditioner had risen to 1,200 euros, a 50 per cent increase, and was in a state of no supply。
How hard and expensive is air conditioning in europe
In europe, having an air conditioner is an expensive and troublesome thing。
In the case of traditional air conditioners, which are subject to housing protection policies, the installation of air conditioners in many parts of europe requires the approval of the relevant departments and the consent of the owner and owner organizations. The cost of installation of air conditioners is also very high, and the cost of installation is even higher than the price of air conditioners themselves, with the installation scheduled for several months。
Even if portable air conditioners were exempted from the installation and approval process, their prices and increases were prohibitive for many europeans。
How hard and expensive is it to install air conditioning in europe
Fork: i bought this portable sub-air conditioner, which doesn't need a hole in the outside wall, just put it on the outside shelf。
In fact, most europeans still have the impression of air conditioners in their traditional style of perforating the walls, and our neighbours suddenly see an air conditioner outside the building, and the first reaction in their minds is to hit the wall。
The outer walls of the apartment are owned by all owners and are equipped with air-conditioning holes, which need to be discussed and voted upon at regular meetings of owners. The neighbours found the property and then the landlord found it。
The landlord, who had been very nice, suddenly became harsh when he came to the door, and he sent me a warning letter asking us to remove the equipment the same day and to find a professional company to repair the damage to the outer wall before the end of the month。
In germany, a letter of warning from the landlord is a very formal and serious matter: for the first time, you ignore it, he can send it again, but if you don't, you'll probably go through legal channels to move away。
In the end, we took a photograph explaining the principles of the air conditioner, which did not pierce the wall before obtaining the landlord's understanding and withdrawing our request for demolition。
The purchase of €800 for air conditioning is a considerable expense for many. 800 euros can almost buy a medium-high-end refrigerator. The refrigerator is used every day, and people think it's worth it, and air conditioners spend only two or three weeks a year, and many think it's not going to work, not to mention that prices have risen to thousands of euros。
This, together with a monthly salary tax of 2,000 to 3,000 euros for ordinary workers in germany, has led to the abandonment of many of them as soon as the economy came to an end。
Judas (a coffee bar operator, who has lived in a french village for 15 years): air conditioning is so expensive that ordinary french people can't afford it. They earn between 1,500 and 1,600 euros a month at the basic wage, with fewer hands, while a mobile air-conditioning network sells 999 euros。
Our shop was renovated in 2022 with two top-to-top air conditioners, two and three, which cost 5,800 euros。
It's not easy to install air conditioning because i own the entire shop and land, and i own private property, so i can get a permit to drill and install air conditioning. In the case of tenants, the installation of air-conditioning holes on the wall requires the consent of both the landlord and the government。
Because of these two air conditioners, our shop is the most popular place in the village. Guests like to come for coffee, chat, and, of course, to “touch air conditioning”。
Steven (white collar, working in the paris region of france for almost three years): commercial land is generally equipped with air conditioning, and our company has air conditioning, so colleagues have recently come to the office to work more。
But for me, the worst part is commuting. I usually enter town on the rer b line, which is the famous "sauna car" in paris, without air conditioning (now some new subways have air conditioning). Last year i saw someone in the car who fainted in the summer, and it took a while to regain consciousness。
Jay (italian student, less than one year at siena university): we have no air conditioning in our dormitories, and the old buildings in siena are basically not equipped with air conditioning because the city is too old to be able to fit the outer surfaces of antiquities. The walls of my old building are particularly thick and warm during the day, but the problem is unventilated, like a can。
So we rely on the “earth method” — 24 hours without windows, a cold bath, as little clothes as possible, fan-opening fan, hand-held fan or folding fan。
Do europeans really prefer heat to environment
On the one hand, high temperatures have led to school suspensions, disruption of medical equipment, disruption of railways and an increase in the number of deaths; on the other hand, it has been asserted that the widespread use of air conditioners increases greenhouse gas emissions, and even local laws have been used to report neighbourhood air conditioners。
In the latter's view, air conditioning represents a selfish indulgence that poses a threat to the ecological environment。
A controversy about whether to be comfortable or environmentally friendly is spreading in europe. So, what do ordinary people in it think of this controversy
Liley: with regard to the concept of environmental protection, it is clear to me that some germans have an almost paranoid attitude. Some people think it's not environmentally friendly if you use air conditioning and you don't use natural methods to cool the heat. There are others who feel that my personal comfort can be sacrificed, but the environmental concept that i share must be upheld。
Behind this is a habit of living, and german people consider the impact on communities and the ecological environment before making personal decisions。
Building engineers in germany gave me examples of animals such as geckos that would have to be stopped if they were to be placed on the tracks and then assessed whether they would continue. It is undeniable, however, that this would indeed have an impact on the advancement of the project。
Fork: i understand the importance of environmental protection, but i think it can be considered from a more practical perspective. Now that technology is advanced, air conditioning does not mean environmental damage. New types of equipment have made significant progress in reducing environmental impacts. The harm done to some people, especially the elderly, is real, and many of us in the region have not been too warm. We should have healthy bodies before we think about anything else。
It is not only a problem with air conditioning, but there was a group of environmental activists who, in protest against driving to contaminate the environment, directly glued their hands to highway roads in an attempt to obstruct traffic. Because ordinary sittings are easy to drive away, they use this extreme method。
In my view, the most appropriate approach is the “balanced” approach in the chinese thinking, which preserves the environment and balances economic development and scientific and technological progress and explores win-win approaches。
Today, at extreme temperatures, many people are slowly changing attitudes and accepting air conditioning. The landlord and i, for example, were quite open and acceptable when we cleared up the misunderstanding. Property staff even came to ask us where the air conditioning was bought, what brand, what model. The wave of air conditioning purchases across europe is also sufficient evidence of the public opinion base of air conditioning as an emerging product。
J: my professor is 62 years old and spent most of his life in siena. He said that in the 1990s, the tuscany region in italy had a long season, not so long and not so hot in summer, but the temperature had been rising for 20 years。
The old professor spent more than 30 years watching himself become a different summer。
Lilley: when i said goodbye to my colleagues last week, what should have been said, “have a nice day” became “i hope that you will survive this heat wave in peace”。
Extreme heat is reshaping not only the climate, but also the relationship between man and nature and the social relationship between man and man. We expect that ordinary people will be able to live in harmony with nature in a more comfortable manner, without suffering from heat waves。
